Here’s how the Yankees could trade for Phillies starter Zack Wheeler
The Yankees can take advantage of the Phillies’ desire to offload Zack Wheeler’s salary. Here’s how a deal between New York and Philadelphia might look.
If the Yankees want to break their World Series drought in 2021 they need to upgrade their starting rotation. Swinging a deal for Zack Wheeler could turn New York into the American League favorites.
It’s a bit surprising that the Phillies are so motivated to offload the 30-year-old right-hander. Reports indicate the franchise wants to cut payroll this offseason in response to the global pandemic. Wheeler is the team’s second-highest earner behind Bryce Harper. Getting his salary off their books might also allow Philadelphia to ink J.T. Realmuto to a long-term contract via free agency.
Only a handful of teams can realistically afford to add Wheeler and his salary. He’s only one year into the five-year, $118 million pact he signed with the Phillies. The Yankees don’t want to add a ton of payroll this offseason, but they could be motivated to stretch their financial limitations to add a pitcher of Wheeler’s quality.
What would a Yankees-Phillies trade for Wheeler look like?
The question the Yankees need to answer is how much they’re willing to give up in a trade for the Phillies’ quality starter. Taking on such a hefty amount of salary will reduce that Philadelphia can realistically expect to receive in any swap.
One thing the Phillies will certainly want in any transaction is a starter capable of filling Wheeler’s spot in the rotation. They will ask the Yankees about Deivi Garcia, but don’t expect New York to part with him in this kind of trade. Instead, New York can base their offer around their second-best major league ready pitching prospect, Clarke Schmidt.
That won’t be quite enough to help the Phillies front office win the press conference. That’s why the Yankees will also include Miguel Andujar in the deal. Some fans might cringe at the idea of parting with a potential power bat, but his lack of a defensive position robs him of any real value to the Yankees. Philadelphia might believe they can find a spot for him in their everyday lineup if his bat returns to the heights it showed during Andujar’s rookie campaign.
Should the Phillies need any more convincing, throwing in No. 21 prospect Canaan Smith could do the trick. The Phillies are lacking in outfield prospects near the top of their system, and Smith would rank far higher in their farm than he does with the prospect-dominant Yankees.
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All-in-all, swapping Schmidt and Andujar appears to be a light price for the Yankees to acquire such an established starter. Remember though, Wheeler is already expensive and will be pitching in his lower-30s for the remainder of his current contract. The Phillies won’t get a premium return for such an expensive player. That gives the Yankees a real chance to get this deal done without parting with a lot of high-end talent.